Apparatus for defining characters on impression-receiving material



Dec. 11, 1956 D. R. LAMBERT 2,773,443

' APPARATUS FOR DEFINING CHARACTERS ON IMPRESSION-RECEIVING MATERIALFiled Feb. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet J Dec. 11, 1956 D. R. LAMBERTAPPARATUS FOR DEFINING CHARACTERS ON IMPRESSION-RECEIVING MATERIAL.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1954 United States Patent APPARATUS FORDEFINING CHARACTERS ON INIPRESSION-RECEIVING MATERIAL Donald RudolfLambert, Carshalton, England, assignor to Powers-Samas AccountingMachines Limited, London, England, a British company ApplicationFebruary 16, 1954, Serial No. 410,656

Claims priority, application Great Britain March 18, 1953 9 Claims. (Cl.101-93) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for definingcharacters on impression-receiving material.

It is a main object of the invention to provide apparatus forautomatically effecting the definition of characters onimpression-receiving material, e. g. paper, at a relatively high speedand in carrying the invention into effect one or more styluses is or areemployed, each stylus being capable of defining any one of apredetermined number of characters. By .a relatively high speed is to beunderstood the capacity of a stylus or of each stylus to definecharacters at a rate of 150 or more characters per minute.

According to the invention there is provided for defining characters onimpression-receiving material, e. g. paper, apparatus comprising aplaten, at least one stylus the marking end of which is supported formovement lengthwise -towards and away from the platen, stylusreciproeating means operable simultaneously to move the marking end ofthe stylus in two paths normal one to the other thereby to determine themaximum height and maximum width of a character, and actuating meansoperable during said simultaneous movement of the marking end of thestylus to apply discrete impulses to the stylus to effect lengthwisemovements thereof to cause its marking end to make character-definingmarks on impression-receiving material disposed between the platen andthe marking end of the stylus. In order that the invention may beclearly understood one embodiment thereof will now be described, by wayof example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 pictorially illustrates one form of apparatus for definingcharacters in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section and illustrates means foreffecting lengthwise movements of styluses,

Fig. 3 is a pictorial view, on line IIIIII, Fig. 1, illustrating themanner in which a character is defined in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 4 illustrates a character disc for the letter A, and

Fig. 5 graphically illustrates the manner in which, under control of thedisc shown in Fig. 4, a stylus defines the letter A on impressionreceiving material.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus diagramm-ati cally illustratedtherein embodies a plurality of styluses each of which consists of aflexible wire 1, the wire 1 being the inner wire of a flexible cablewhich cable consists of the inner wire 1 and a flexible outer member 2which outer member is a fixed member having its opposite ends clamped asindicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The inner wire 1 is movable lengthwiserelative to the outer member 2 and extends therethrough to projectbeyond the opposite ends .thereof so the end 3, Fig. 3, thereof is themarking end while the opposite end 4, Fig. 2, of the wire is animpulsereceiving end which co-operates with the armature 5 of a anysuitable knownmauner, there is fed a web 8 of im- I pression-lreceivingmaterial, such as paper, the feeding apparatus for which, as iscustomary, is arranged to feed the paper to successive line positionsthereof, the paper being stationary during character-definingoperations. Also over the platen 7 is fed a web 9 of transfer media suchas a carbon ribbon or the like.

The marking ends 3 of the wires are supported by a first reciprocatingguide element 10 and a second reciprocating guide element 11, the wirespassing through apertures 12 in the guide element 11 to be engagedthereby. The first guide element 10 is adjacent to the opposite endsthereof, provided with V-grooves each of which embraces a post 13, Fig.1, so that the guide element 10 is slidable lengthwise of the posts. Apin 14 extends from each end of the first guide element 10 and isengaged in a slot 15 formed in a bell-crank lever 16 supported on apivot 17. The bell-crank lever 16 carries a cam follower 18 which isurged towards a cam 19 by a spring 20. The cam 19 is rotatable with ashaft 21 which is continuously rotated in any suitable manner from themain drive of the machine, not shown.

The second guide element 11 has a tongue 22 extending lengthwisethereof, the tongue being housed in a groove extending lengthwise of thefirst guide element 10 so that the second guide element 11 is carried bythe first guide element 10 and is supported for sliding movementlengthwise thereof and in a direction normal to the direction ofmovement of the first guide 10, as indicated by the double-headed arrows23 and 24, Figs. 1 and 3. To one end of the second guide element 11 isconnected an eccentric strap 25, Fig. l, the strap 25 co-operating withan eccentric 26 rotated by a shaft 27, also continuously rotatable byany suitable means, not shown, from the main drive of the machine. Theshafts 21 and 27 are rotated simultaneously and in timed relation inorder that the movements of guide elements 10 and 11 in directions 23,24 are effected simultaneously so that the guide elements move themarking ends 3 of the styluses 1 simultaneously in two paths, normal oneto the other, as determined by the cam 19 and eccentric 26 so that themarking ends 3 of the styluses each trace out relative to the stationaryweb 8 a path as indicated by the sloping lines 24a, Fig. 5. Thearrangement is such that the reciprocating movements 23 of the firstguide element 10 determine the maximum height of a character to bedefined by a stylus 1 while the reciprocating movements 24 of the secondguide element 11 determine the maximum width of the character.

The cam 19 and eccentric 26 are so timed that while the cam 19 iscausing the guide element 10 to make a single traverse in one directionthe eccentric 26 causes the guide element 11 to make a plurality ofreciprocations 24, the extent of movement of element 11 being indicatedas in Fig. 5. In the embodiment of the apparatus herein described it isassumed that while the guide element 10 makes one reciprocation 23 theguide element 11 makes eleven reciprocations 24. However, as can be seenfrom Fig. 5, the arrangement is such that discrete impulses are appliedto the wires 1 only during the first eight of a cycle of elevenreciprocations 24, the remaining three reciprocations of the cycle beingidle and representing the interval during which selection is made from aplurality of continuously rotating character discs, of which one 28 isillustrated in Fig. 4, to control the operation of solenoids 6. It willbe understood that the ratio of 1:11 is given by way of example only andthat other ratios can be employed to suit the nature of the work to bedone. i

As viewed in the drawings, the guide element 10 is making its downwardstroke during character definition and at the end of its downward strokewhich is a steady movement from top to bottom, as viewed in Fig. 5, theroller 18 drops from the peak of the cam down a step 29 formed thereonso that the return movement is a very quick movement. The quick returnmovement of guide element 10 is necessitated by the fact that it must becompleted during the line-feeding operation of paper 8.

Each .character disc 28 iselectrically connected with each solenoid 6and is provided withperipheral electrical contacts 28:: 23cc forco-operation with brushes, not shown, so that at intervals and forperiods determined by the contacts the solenoid 6 is energised andimparts discrete impulses to the impulse-receiving end 4 of wire 1causing the wire to be moved lengthwise to impinge against the transfermedia 9 so that, according to the length of a contact, a dot or a lineis marked on-the paper web 8. In Figs. 4 and 5 the reference numerals28a 28cc indicate the contacts and the dots or lines marked as a resultthereof, the contact 28p resulting in the marking of a line.

Although in the example given character-determining discs have beendescribed as controlling the operation of solenoids 6 the manner ofselection of the discs 28 for operation thereof forms no part of thepresent invention and is not illustrated in the drawings, it beingunderstood that the electrical pulses to control operation of thesolenoids 6 can, if desired, be obtained from sources other than discs28.

On application of an electrical pulse to a solenoid 6, the armature 5thereof, as mentioned above, effects lengthwise movement of the innerwire 1 so that the wire is impinged against the transfer media 9 andpaper 8. It will be understood that the extent of lengthwise movement ofthe Wire 1 is very short and after an impulse has been applied theretothe arrangement is suchthat the wire 30, Fig. 2, which connects themoving coil of the solenoid to terminals, not shown, act in conjunctionwith the tendency for wire 1 to straighten and the reactionary pressureexerted thereon by the impression-receiving material, which is undertension, to restore the wire 1 and armature 5 to the starting positionsthereof.

it will be understood that, if desired, a single stylus 1 may beemployed to effect the definition of characters on impression receivingmaterial such as tape, but in the preferred embodiment of the inventionthe apparatus comprises a plurality of wires 1, as illustrated in Figs.1 and 3, the apparatus being used in conjunction with a statisticalmachine controlled by records such as perforated record cards, orperforated tape, or by cards, tape or other data-bearing media on whichdata is recorded by marks, for example marks having magnetic propertiesor lightabsorbing properties, and from which the data is sensed tocontrol the operations of the machine.

One form of statistical machine to which the apparatus may be applied isa tabulating machine, in which instance a stylus 1 may be controlledeither directly as a result of the sensing of data from a record, or bya reading-out operation from an accumulator incorporated in the machine.The apparatus may, at some times, be controlled by records, and at othertimes by a reading-out operation from the accumulator.

Another form of statistical machine to which the apparatus can beapplied is that form ofstatistical machine, known'to the art as aninterpreter, in which data sensed from a record is visually definedeither on the record from which the data is sensed or on another recordfed through the machine either in precedence to or succeeding therecordfrom which the data is sensed.

In the embodiment of the invention described above,

the styluses have been described as flexible wires, but it will beunderstood that, if desired, a stylus can have a form other than that ofa wire and may comprise a stylus which is provided with marking materialso that it makes an impression by direct contact with theimpression-receiving material, thus avoiding the necessity of thetransfer media 9 mentioned above. Thus the stylus may comprise a form ofball-point pen or it may be an element provided with a thin wick towhich marking fluid is fed to effect the character-defining marks on thepaper.

From the foregoing it will also be understood that during the definitionof a character the paper 8 is stationary, the paper being fed as iscustomary to the individual line printing positions thereof between theprinting of successive characters by the individual styluses, and that,if desired, imprinting may be effected on sheets instead of on a web ashereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. For defining characters on impression-receiving material, e. g.paper, apparatus comprising a platen, at least one stylus supported formovement lengthwise towards and away from the platen, a first stylusreciproeating element supported for reciprocation in a path determiningone maximum dimension of a character, a second stylus reciprocatingelement co-acting with the marking end of the stylus and movable withsaid first element and relative thereto in a path normal to the path ofsaid first element to determine the other maximum dimension of acharacter, a first operating means operativcly coupled to said firstelement to effect reciprocation thereof, a second operating meansoperatively coupled with said second element and actuated in timedrelation with said first operating means to effect a predeterminednumber of reciprocations of the second element for each reciprocation ofthe first element, and actuating means operable during movement of saidfirst element in one direction of movement thereof to apply discreteimpulses to the stylus to efiect lengthwise movements thereof to causeits marking .end to make character-defining marks onimpression-receiving material disposed between the platen and themarking end of the stylus.

2. For defining characters on impression-receiving material, e. g.paper, apparatus comprising a platen, a plurality of styluses supportedin side-by-side relationfor independent movement lengthwise towards andaway from the platen, a first guide element supported for reciprocationin a path determining the height of characters definable by saidstyluses, a second guide element engaging the marking end of each of thestyluses and supported by the first guide element for movement therewithand for reciprocation relative thereto in a path normal to the path inwhich the first guide element is reciproca'ble thereby to determine themaximum width of characters definable by the styluses, a first operatingmeans operatively coupled to said first element to efiect reciprocationthereof, a second operating means operatively coupled with said secondelement and actuated in timed. relation with said first operating meansto efiect a predetermined number of reciprocations of the second elementfor each reciprocation of the first element, and actuating meansoperable during movement of said first guide element in one direction ofmovement thereof to apply discrete impulses to a stylus to ettectlengthwise movements thereof to cause its marking end to makecharacter-defining marks on impression-receiving material disposedbetween the platen and the marking ends of the styluses.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first operating meansincludes a pivoted cam-follower operatively connected with the firstguide element, a cam cooperating with the cam-follower, a firstcontinuously rotatable shaft supporting said cam for rotation therewith,and the second operating means includes an cecentric strap operativelyconnected with the second guide clement, an eccentric co-operating withsaid strap, and a second shaft-continuously rotatable in timed relationwith said first shaft and supporting the eccentric for rotationtherewith.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the actuating means for eachstylus comprises a moving coil solenoid including a movable armature toapply said discrete impulses to the stylus.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first guide element issupported for reciprocation by said camfollower and guide postsco-operation with V-groovcs formed in the first guide element adjacentthe opposite ends thereof.

6. For defining characters on impression-receiving ma terial, e. g.paper, apparatus comprising a platen, a plurality of flexible wires eachconsisting of a flexible outer member supported by the opposit endsthereof and an inner wire extending therethrough to project beyond theopposite ends thereof and form a stylus having a marking end and animpulse receiving end, the inner wires being supported by their outermembers in side-by-side relation for movement lengthwise towards andaway from the platen, a first guide element supported for reciprocationin a path determining the height of characters definable by said innerwires, a second guide element engaging the marking end of each of theinner wires and supported by the first guide element for movementtherewith and for reciprocation relative thereto in a path normal to thepath in which the first guide element is reciprocable thereby todetermine the maximum width of characters definable by the inner wires,a first operating means operatively coupled with said first element toeffect reciprocation thereof, a second operating means operativelycoupled with said second element and actuated in timed relation withsaid first operating means to effect a predetermined number ofreciprocations of the second element for each reciprocation of the firstelement, and actuating means operable during movement of said firstguide element in one direction of movement thereof to apply discreteimpulses to the impulse receiving end of an inner wire to effectlengthwise movement of the wire to cause the marking end thereof to makecharacter-defining marks on impression-receiving material disposedbetween the platen and the marking ends of the wires.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first operating meansincludes a pivoted cam-follower oper atively connected with the firstguide element, a cam cooperating with the cam-follower, a firstcontinuously rotatable shaft supporting said cam for rotation therewith,and the second operating means includes an eccentric strap operativelyconnected with the second guide element, an eccentric co-operating withsaid strap, and a second shaft continuously rotatable in timed relationWith said first shaft and supporting the eccentric for rotationtherewith.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the actuating means for eachsaid inner wire comprises a moving coil solenoid including a movablearmature for co-operation with the impulse-receiving end of the wirthereby to impart said discrete impulses to the wire to effectlengthwise movement thereof towards the platen.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first guide element issupported for reciprocation by said camfollower and guide postsco-operating with V-grooves formed in the first guide element adjacentthe opposite ends thereof.

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